I tend not to like movies that are about the making of a movie, so I was already going into viewing this film on a slightly biased basis. It's like someone asking me to walk into a patch of poison ivy--I really don't want to do it and if I do anyways I'll know I'll be itchy and uncomfortable long after the deed. I mean, what could these filmmakers do that hasn't been done umpteen million times before? Well, what they did simply amazed me--they created something highly entertaining, unpredictable and unique that's completely unhindered by the label "no budget production".

The movie begins with the director, Amy Lee Parker (portrayed by real-life director Amy Lynn Best) talking into the camera, explaining how she has planned to massacre her entire crew. It's a bit awkward and it had me wondering from the get-go what was going on. Soon we're thrust into the making of horror movie at a cool haunted house attraction, which made me forget about that intro. But when I thought about it it made me wonder even more why she'd want to kill this production crew, as they all know her from past projects and she's well-liked.

Then, the actor portraying the masked villain is killed and the killer dons the mask and costume, killing more of the actors, though no one else is aware until it's too late. There are faux interviews with the cast and crew, which really gives it a genuine documentary feel, and real life scream queen Debbie Rochon and makeup effects guy/now actor Tom Sullivan portray themselves. I must say that Debbie's rape scene is not quite what you'll think it will be, which goes for the rest of the movie. My biggest surprise however, is Tom Sullivan, who I've only been familiar with as "the guy who did the effects for EVIL DEAD" and pretty much dismissed him as a permanent horror convention figure. He is the gold nugget of this movie.

I would say that if you're only going to watch one ultra-independent horror movie this year than it should, hands down, be SPLATTER MOVIE. You will not be disappointed.

Read the recent and lengthy interview with writer/producer Mike Watt and director/actress Amy Lynn Best in the interview section of www.buried.com.